Tampon

ABSTRACT

A device in the nature of a tampon, particularly suited for vaginal and rectal use, having a body of compressible spongy adsorptive and/or absorbent material, the body being hollow, closed at one end and tapered inwardly toward the closed end. The compressible body is held in radially compressed condition in a telescoping tubular applicator or inserting device. One method of making the device comprises the forming of the hollow compressible body by stamping the tampon from suitable stock and later closing one end thereof. Another method is by molding a hollow tampon in which the hollow body is closed and tapers inwardly at one end thereof.

' United States Patent [1113,559,646

[72] Inventor Joseph Mullan 2,566,190 8/ 1951 Greiner et al 19/ 144.5217 Northway, Baltimore, Md. 21218 2,629,381 2/1953 Brown 128/290 [21]Appl. No. 763,046 2,687,729 8/1954 Slavin.... 128/270 [22] Filed Aug.w16, 1968 3,054,403 9/ 1962 Baker 128/232 [45] Patented Feb. 2, 19713,393,678 7/1968 Pacini 128/270 Primary Examiner-Adele M. Eager [54]TAMPON Attorneys -J. Wesley Everett and George L. Brehm 8 Claims, 14Drawing Figs. p [52] US. Cl 128/270, ABSTRACT; A device in the nature fa tampon particularly 128/271, suited for vaginal and rectal use, havinga body of compressi- [51] Int. Cl. A611 13/20 ble spongy adsorptiveand/o1- absorbem material, the body [50] Field of Search 128/270, b ihollow, dosed at one end and tapered inwardly toward [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 812,770 2/1906 Pond... 128/270 1,603,76710/1926 Harris the closed end. The compressible body is held in radiallycompressed condition in a telescoping tubular applicator or insertingdevice. One method of making the device comprises the forming of thehollow compressible body by stamping the tampon from suitable stock andlater closing one end thereof. Another method is by molding a hollowtampon in which the hollow body is closed and tapers inwardly at one endthereof.

TAMPON This invention relates in general to a tampon device for use byboth humans and animals, and particularly to human vaginal and rectaltampons and to a method of producing the same.

It is one object of my invention to product a self-aligning nontoxic,nonirritating form fitting tampon which has high adsorptive and/orabsorbency characteristics and superior capacity to retain moisture andwhich has all the qualities of easy insertion and ready disposal.

It is another object of ma my invention to produce a tampon which willreduce the possibility of leakage when in use and one which may bereadily impregnated with a medicant and/or adsorb or absorb the same, orone that may carry a medicinal capsule which may evenly distribute themedication through the walls of the tampon or direct the medication fromthe capsule in a predetermined direction.

A further object of the invention, because of the materials from whichthe present tampon is fabricated, is that, they may be cleaned,sterilized and re-used in emergencies.

There are numerous tampons now available but many have certaindisadvantages, for example, many are made of absorbent cottonlikematerial which have limited capacity to absorb and to hold moisture andwhich expand longitudinally but have very little transverse expansionwhich, in some instances, have a disturbing effect upon the user. Manyof these tampons cause irritation and deposit lint within'the bodycavity causing more irritation and possibly creating an inflamed surfacesusceptible to disease. Another characteristic of these tampons is thelongitudinal expansion which sometimes influences the function ofthe.Sphincter muscle, which plays an important part in bowel movement.Because of the nonlongitudinal expansion of my tampon, the tampon ismore comfortable and may be made initially longer and therefore will beeapable of greater moisture adsorption and absorption when used in thiscapacity.

The above are but a few samples of the advantages of my improved tampon.Other advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds andreference is had ,to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, and in which: I

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly sectionalized, of a die machine forcutting the hollow compressible bodies for tampons according to myinvention.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detailed sectional view of one the die membersof the machine, shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a modified form of a die member for forming a large andsmall tampon in the same operation.

FIG. 4 is an inverted plan view of the modified die shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an inverted plan view showing one arrangement of the die head.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through one of the tamponbodies.

FIG. 7 is a view in elevation partly in section of a tampon body havingone end securely closed.

FIG. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 7 showing theclosed end secured by cross ties.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing an area adjacent the closedend moisture proofed.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 7 of a modified form of tampon.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of an applicator containing a compressedtampon in position to be inserted into the cavity.

FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 show a tampon of smaller size formed from the centerof the removed portion of the material of the large size tampon shownand described in FIGS. 6 -l0.

' Referring to the drawing, the large tampon is shown particularly inFIGS. 6-11 and consists of the main body portion 10 initially of tubularform, as shown in FIG. 6, made of highly adsorptive and/or absorbentcompressible material such as foamed polyurethane or other suitablenatural or synthetic l I l t materials of spongy consistency with oneend portion of the tube closed. The closing and tapering of the one endof the tampon may be accomplished in a number of ways. One manner offorming the closed end is shown in FIGS. 7, 9 and 10 in which the end ofthe tampon is stitched diametrically through one end of the tubular bodyin two directions at right angles to each other, preferably with aplastic or silk cord, or thread, drawing the end of the tampon togetherand securing the same. Another method of closing the end of the tubularmember may be by wrapping circumferentially the end of the tampon withcord or thread of suitable material as shown at 13 in FIG. 11. While twospecific ways of closing the end have been specifically shown, othersuitable means may be employed.

For withdrawing the tampon from the cavity there is provided awithdrawal cord or thread of any suitable material secured to thetapered closed end which extends outside the cavity and may be engagedto remove the tampon.

To assure the tampon against leakage and control of the medicant,portions of the tampon may be moisture proofed by a film of coating 14as shown in FIG. 10, of impervious material applied either to thesurface of the outer wall or to the wall of the opening, by spraying thesame thereon or by dipping the area in a liquid bath of suitablematerial. The moisture proofing may be also carried out in various otherways, such as by closing the cells of the area by heat sealing, whetherthe tampon is formed by stamping or by molding, wherein the pores orvoids in the material preferably adjacent the outer surface are closed.If the tapered portion is molded separately from the cylindricalportion, the tapered and cylindrical portions would then be united insome suitable manner. A further way for making the tapered end portionimpervious to fluids is, by placing thereover a polyvinyl chloride filmand attaching the same by a suitable nontoxic adhesive; or by coveringthe tapered portion with a thermoplastic or thermosetting urethanecoating. Regardless of the method and manner used in moisture proofingthe area, it must remain flexible and readily compressible.

The smaller tampons shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 are made particularly forsmaller cavities, such as for use in the nostrils, small vagina channelsand for treating rectal disorders, disease, etc. in which a smallercross section area is more desirable.

The tampon is made ready for use by radially compressing the same andclosing it in a two-part tubular telescoping container, applicator l5and 16, the tampon proper occupying the outer tubular part 15 and part16, forming a plunger for expelling the tampon in the vaginal, rectal orother cavity.

The container applicator may be constructed of any suitable materialsuch as polyethelene, paper, cardboard, rubber and other suitablenonirritating material and is provided with a rounded inwardly curvedportion 15' at one end of part 15 to facilitate insertiondnto thevaginal or other cavity and a flared outwardly diverging portion 17 atthe opposite end thereof while part 16 has a similarly outwardly flaredportion 18 at its free end, the flared ends forming finger grips tofacilitate the use of the device. Both flared ends 17 and 18 may besuitably provided with serrations 19 and 19' if desired to give a bettergrip on the device.

To hold the tubular members 15 and 16 together and yet provide for easyassembly the inner circumference of one end of the member 15 is providedwith a rib 20, while member 16 is provided with a ridge of othersuitable means 21 which will readily snap over the rib 20 when themembers 15 and 16 are telescoped.

The tubular portion 15 of the applicator may have either or bothlongitudinal and lateral markings of any convenient type or style, aform of which is shown in FIG 12. The longitudinal markings aredesignated by letters and the lateral markings are designated bynumerals. The lettered lines (as shown) are spaced longitudinally aroundthe tubular portion 15 and are for directionally positioning aparticular area of the applicator relative to a particular location onthe inner wall of the cavity area into which the applicator is inserted.The laterally numbered markings are for gauging the depth the applicatoris inserted within the cavity, which is generally predetermined prior tothe insertion.

It can be readily seen that the main body portion with its opening 22form a closed end pocket, which not only greatly increases theadsorptive and/or absorbent surface area of the device, but also forms areservoir for collecting secretions, clots or other foreign substancesfrom the vaginal or other cavity into which the tampon is placed. Thepocket also provides a well into which medication and/or medicalinstruments may be retained for treatment.

The opening 22 may not necessarily be round in cross section but may beformed with a plurality of sides or an oval cross-sectional form isdesired.

The tampon may be used for collecting bacteria to be tested for diseaseand other body disorders. The smaller tampon, which may be made of anysize, may also be used in medicating deep wounds (such as bullet wounds)and for insertions into openings purposely left in the flesh aftersurgery. The medication may be of any desirable substance, among whichmay be an antiseptic or blood clotting compound which may be depositedwithin the opening 22, or the body portion 10 of the tampon may beimpregnated with suitable medications and/or deodorizing compounds priorto being compressed into the applicator.

In the modification shown in FIG. 11 the compressible body of the deviceis provided with a plurality of openings 22 instead of the singleopening of the first described form, otherwise the device is similar tothe first form and like reference characters have been employed.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 there is shown in the opening 22 of the tampon amedicated capsule C which may be inserted within the opening 22 prior toplacing the tampon into the applicator. In order to keep the capsule inrelative position with the main portion 10 of the tampon prior toplacing the tampon into the applicator and for retaining the capsule inthe same relative position within the main portion 10 when releasedwithin the body cavity, there is provided a positioning means Pconstructed preferably of a flexible spongy material similar to thematerial used in the main body portion 10. While a particular form ofpositioning means is shown in FIG. 7, any suitable means may beemployed. However, the main body 10 may be constructed with an opening22 of substantially the same diameter as the capsule, in which case thecapsule is made to fit snugly into the opening to insure its relativeposition with the portion 10 and therefore may be positioned relative tothe body cavity when injected therein. This particular feature isillustrated in FIG. 14.

There may also be placed about the capsule either adjacent, or betweenthe capsule and the interior wall of the central opening a shield S todirect the medication toward a certain area in the cavity. For example,the capsule may contain a medication to be applied to a certain areaonly and in this case the medication could be directed toward thisparticular area. Another example would be that the capsule may contain acertain degree of radiation and that the shield may be of a certaincharacter as to direct the rays toward a specific area. Still anotherexample may be that the capsule may be in the form of a heating or X-raytube with extended wires to the outside to be connected to an outsidesource of supply for carrying out treatments in the area withoutrequiring the removal and insertion of the apparatus every time thetreatment is made. These wires may also be utilized as withdrawal cordsfor the tampon.

In order that a particular side of the capsule is to be placed adjacenta particular side of the tampon opening 22 the capsule and itspositioning means are inserted into the opening 22 by the stem Cattached to one end of the capsule C. The stem is provided with aweakened area C". Extending outwardly above the opening 22 as shown inFIG. 7 there is an angled handle portion C'. When the capsule is locatedin the desired position within the opening 22 the tampon is compressedbetween the fingers to hold it in position and from turning and thehandle C" is rotated, whereby the rotation of the handle portion willcause the stem C to break at its weakened portion C. The remainder ofthe stem left adjacent the capsule will not interfere with the operationof the device. However, the stem may be separated adjacent the end ofthe capsule if desired.

The wall of the tampon being preferable of uniform thickness, an appliedmedication is normally easily applied uniformly throughout the cavityarea, or the niedication may be directed in any desired direction byblocking off the pores of the tampon by any of the methods mentionedherein.

FIGS. 1-5 of the drawings shown an apparatus for forming the tubulartampon bodies. A die head 23 is attached to any suitable supportingmeans 24 which may be either manually, or power actuated forciblypresses the same toward the base plate 25. The die head 23 is preferablyprovided with a plurality of cutting dies 26. One form of the die isshown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 for forming the large size tampon and consistsof two concentric tubular members 27 and 28 attached to each other by ascrew thread or equivalent means 29. The die 26 is secured to the diehead 23 by a bolt 30 or other suitable means. The members 27 and 28 aresharpened to form cutting edges 31 and 32 at their lower ends. While theforming of the tampon is illustrated and described as a stamping, thetampon may be formed by molding as a single unit, or the tapered andcylindrical portion may be molded separately and later united in somesuitable manner, such as, by a suitable adhesive or heat sealed, or amolded tapered portion may be united with a stamped portion or viceversa. It is also intended that the invention shall include a tamponregardless of the manner in which it is made or its form including beingtapered throughout its entire length to a small cross-sectional areaadjacent one end thereof and that the area adjacent the smallcross-sectional area may be sealed to make it impervious to fluidssimilarly to that described hereinbefore for the tapered portion.

As may be seen, a sheet of sponge material 33 is placed on the baseplate 25 and the die plate depressed, which will result in cutting anumber of main tubular bodies 10 in a single operation after which thebodies may be removed from the dies by any conventional manner.

A modified form of die is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 for forming both thelarge and small size tampon. In this die the outer section 27 and theinterior section 28 are substantially the same as those shown anddescribed for FIG. 2. However, in this die there are provided a smallcenter cutter 30', which forms a second tampon 10", shown in FIGS. 13and 14, from the center pieces taken from the larger tampon body 10.This smaller size, as mentioned before, is preferably for use in smallercavities, particularly by young females with small vaginal cavity andfor small rectal channels for treatment of hemorrhoids, etc. Thesesmaller tampons may be used, as mentioned before, for treatment andmedication after nose operations.

The length of the tampon may be readily shortened by snipping off theopen end if a shorter length would be required or desirable to make thetampon function more properly.

Referring again to the molded type tampon, the tampon may be molded inone piece or in sections which may be later united. Also the opening maybe molded to any predetermined depth at the time of the molding of thetampon and may also include, if desirable, the inwardly tapered end.

Both the large and smaller size tamponsare inserted in substantially thesame type of apparatus as described for the larger size, except theinserters for the smaller size are reduced in size, preferably thediameter of these small size inserters are substantially in the sameproportions as the respective sizes of tampons themselves.

Having thus described my invention I wish it understood that I do notintend to be limited strictly to all the details set forth but only tosuch extend as required by the prior art and as defined by the appendedclaims.

I claim:

l. A tampon comprising:

a. a cylindrical body of highly compressible and absorptive material;

b. said body having an opening extending thereinto from one end to nearthe other end thereof, said other end being closed;

c. the cylindrical outer surface of said body tapering inwardly at saidclosed end; and

d. a flexible cordlike with drawing means of substantial length attachedto said body at said closed end and extending without said body fromsaid closed end.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the cylindrical body iscompressed at said closed end with means provided to retain the same incompressed condition to form the inward taper at said closed end.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 in which said opening in said bodyis provided with means for therapeutically treating a body cavity intowhich the tampon is inserted.

4. The structure defined in claim 2 in which said cylindricalbody iscomposed of polyurethane sponge.

5. The structure defined in claim 2 in combination with an applicator,said applicator comprising a tubular element having an inner diametersubstantially less than the uncompressed diameter of the cylindricalbody and accommodating the same in compressed condition therein, and anejector slidable in said tubular element for ejecting the cylindricalbody therefrom and into a body cavity.

6. The method of making tampons which comprises the following steps,

a. die-cutting an elongated tubular member of elastic compressible andabsorbtive material from a sheet of such material;

b. drawing together and compressing one end of said tubular said tubularmember to close the opening at said end and form a taper on the exteriorof said member at said end,

c. securing said drawn together and compressed end to retain the same insaid condition; and

d. attaching a withdrawal cord to said compressed end.

7. The steps of the method for main making tampons as defined in claim 6with the additional step of treating the tapered and compressed end ofsaid tubular member to render it impervious to moisture.

8. The steps of the method of making tampons as defined in claim 6 inwhich the step of drawing together and compressing one end of thetubular member comprises stitching through one end of the tubular bodyin two directions at right angles to each other with threads, formingloops in said threads, drawing said loops to tighten the same andsecuring said thread loops in tightened condition.

1. A tampon comprising: a. a cylindrical body of highly compressible andabsorptive material; b. said body having an opening extending thereintofrom one end to near the other end thereof, said other end being closed;c. the cylindrical outer surface of said body tapering inwardly at saidclosed end; and d. a flexible cordlike with drawing means of substantiallength attached to said body at said closed end and extending withoutsaid body from said closed end.
 2. The structure defined in claim 1 inwhich the cylindrical body is compressed at said closed end with meansprovided to retain the same in compressed condition to form the inwardtaper at said closed end.
 3. The structure defined in claim 2 in whichsaid opening in said body is provided with means for therapeuticallytreating a body cavity into which the tampon is inserted.
 4. Thestructure defined in claim 2 in which said cylindrical body is composedof polyurethane sponge.
 5. The structure defined in claim 2 incombination with an applicator, said applicator comprising a tubularelement having an inner diameter substantially less than theuncompressed diameter of the cylindrical body and accommodating the samein compressed condition therein, and an ejector slidable in said tubularelement for ejecting the cylindrical body therefrom and into a bodycavity.
 6. The method of making tampons which comprises the followingsteps, a. die-cutting an elongated tubular member of elasticcompressible and absorbtive material from a sheet of such material; b.drawing together and compressing one end of said tubular said tubularmember to close the opening at said end and form a taper on the exteriorof said member at said end, c. securing said drawn together andcompressed end to retain the same in said condition; and d. attaching awithdrawal cord to said compressed end.
 7. The steps of the method formain making tampons as defined in claim 6 with the additional step oftreating the tapered and compressed end of said tubular member to renderit impervious to moisture.
 8. The steps of the method of making tamponsas defined in claim 6 in which the step of drawing together andcompressing one end of the tubular member comPrises stitching throughone end of the tubular body in two directions at right angles to eachother with threads, forming loops in said threads, drawing said loops totighten the same and securing said thread loops in tightened condition.